Healthcare (Moderate): How About a Center Bill? by Erik Roscom
Septermber 9th, 2009 I’m sure if anyone has seen any form of news in the last few months you know… there is a healthcare debate. From liberals you will hear the cry for a single payer system, or an alternative plan of a public option. From conservatives you will hear Tort Reform, or simple insurance reform. But have we really looked deeply into finding some middle ground? From all this back and forth neither side seems to want to give up anything, but neither side is ready to let the other win. Is it really so bad to put in a Trigger system, so that the private sector has time to reform its ways? Or to allow some Tort reform, so hospitals and in turn Insurance companies don’t end up delivering that cost to you? Or maybe to adopt a Co-Op system which will help the system, but not be a total overhaul? I get both arguments, Liberals have been clamoring for a public option type system since Teddy Roosevelt, and I get the Conservative argument that they are cautious of Government’s hand. This debate is no where new, in fact it could be traced to the original parties of Federalist and Anti-Federalist in asking “what is the real role of Government?” But at the end of the day can we really just do nothing? It looks less and less likely that both sides will get all of what they want, so I say it’s time not for a liberal bill, or a conservative bill but for a center bill. To my Democratic friends: I know you’ve waited a long time for this opportunity. I know you see it as a moral issue, or an issue crippling the uninsured financially, but you must also remember the country AND the Democratic Party hated getting legislation shoved down its throat by the Republicans all those years ago. Do you really want to go back down a path we opposed so hard? And if you do… do you really expect to keep winning? To my Republican Friends: I know government power scares you, it’s something that’s been discussed for our entire history. I know that you all are afraid with all the spending that’s been going on and all the programs being talked about, but you also have to see there is a general want for some kind of reform. You have to realize that something has to be done, and we need to figure it out with your help, not with a clenched fist. You might have to make some concessions but if you come into the debate with grace and respect we are much more likely to get further, and we can create a bill which both helps our broken system, and also keeps us from diving too far in, but that bill will not come to pass if the division is grow, and the Democrats will do what Republicans did so long ago… shove it through with your support or not. We need to sit down and listen to both sides, they both have good arguments. It’s time to stop legislating from a political party, and start to legislate together. I’m a Democrat, I have my own views on this reform but I also know that discussion and compromise usually makes a stronger bill, and to fix what a mess our health care system is in, we are going to need more than just one political party on board, we are going to need everyone. So let’s stop this fight, and start working for that middle ground. Category:By Erik Roscom Category:Healthcare Reform Category:Moderate